There is no doubt that this year is going to be tough for most countries in Europe. The seafood business will doubtlessly be impacted.

Although people still have to eat -- a maxim oft touted by food business executives when asked how the tough economy will hit sales – they don’t have to eat seafood and can switch to cheaper offerings.

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One UK-based executive I spoke with last week described the current climate as the toughest he has ever seen.

A Spanish executive I was exchanging emails with at the start of the year said Christmas in Spain had been “really bad.”

“People